La. Tech students describe racist undertones on campus

Three days after a former student alleged members of Louisiana Tech University's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter sang a racist song in 2010, the school claims no knowledge of the incident and fraternity brothers are mum on the topic.

But several current Louisiana Tech students say racist behavior is a subtle force on campus and its fraternities in general, sometimes disguised as pride in "traditional" or "Southern" values.

"In public, people know how to be," said senior Darryl Ware, 21, who is black. But, he said, "You can feel the presence of, 'I don't really want to talk to your kind,' or, 'We don't want to discuss race, we're gonna pretend that there isn't any racial bigotry.'"

Still, some students such as Jadarius Willis, 22, and Chase Cason, 20, both of whom are black, denied the presence of racist undertones on campus.

"This is actually one of the least racist campuses," said Willis.

Some of the hostile messages at the school, as Ware sees it, are T-shirts worn by some fraternity members with the words, "I'm a proud Southern rebel," and "Succeeding since 1865." He recalled being around white members of a fraternity, which is not SAE but which he would not identify, who drunkenly ranted about blacks and used the N-word and "coon," he said.

"They like to say it's their beliefs in states' rights and the history of Americans standing up for what they believe in, but in reality… it was actually for states' rights to own other people," Ware said. "Why would you support a history with such a negative connotation and such evil intent and label it as 'tradition' and 'pride'?"

Louisiana Tech spokesman David Guerin wrote in an email, "I think it's best to let the students’ voice be heard exclusively. We'll decline comment."

Three young men outside the SAE house Friday rebuffed requests to speak. "We stand united on 'no comment,'" one said.

SAE's headquarters issued a statement expressing regret for the video depicting University of Oklahoma members singing, "You can hang them from a tree, but he'll never sign with me. No there'll never be a n***** in SAE." Spokesman Brandon Weghorst confirmed there's an "active investigation" into allegations of similar behavior at Louisiana Tech and said the results will be available soon.

Orlando Shelly, a 25-year-old graduate student studying theater, said no students of color were cast in main roles in recent plays, all of which required the principals to play white family members and therefore look alike.

"The only (acting role) I've gotten here is Jafar, the magician in 'Aladdin,'" said Shelly, who is Latino.

Cason, one of the black students who downplayed racism on campus, said he joined a fraternity made up of mostly blacks. At the so-called white fraternities, "I felt they didn't want me to join," he said.

That message was also transmitted to Michael Aguillard, 20, who's black. He said at an informational event, some white fraternity members openly told him they themselves tend to be racist.

"I realized I wasn't in the right place," he said.

A pair of white students, Kohl Brandon, 19, and Paul D. Muckleroy, 19, said they'd never heard of bigoted actions by fraternities at Louisiana Tech.

"I've seen a pretty wide variety of different races and backgrounds being in all different groups around campus…I don't see any selection or people trying to be racist by only allowing certain people in," Muckleroy said.

One Louisiana Tech freshman initially shrugged off questions Friday, saying he was too new to have any observations about race on campus.

But after a moment, the student — 19-year-old Miller Horton — summarized his thoughts this way:

"I want to say there is some racial divide, but it's too obscure to put your finger on it."